After last week’s post about the Dragon of Wawel Hill, we’re continuing our series of dragons this Slavic Saturday with the Żmij (also known as Zmey/Змей, Zmei, Zmaj/Змај, Zmiy Змій), a popular form of the beasts from Slavic folktales and mythology. In other posts we’ll go into more details about named Żmije from across folktales, but for now, we’ll focus on Żmije in general.
(June 2021 Updated) Note: If you enjoy Slavic mythology, check out A Dagger in the Winds, the first book in my Slavic fantasy series called The Frostmarked Chronicles. You can also join my monthly newsletter for updates and free novellas (such as the prequel, The Rider in the Night) set in the world of the series.
Our dragons are different?
Whenever the topic of Slavic dragons is raised, people often ask how they are any different than the dragons found throughout most European myths. It’s a good question, as at first, it appears that the Żmije are just the massive, winged, fire-breathing serpents that have been made popular in folklore and fantasy. And it’s not wrong to claim they’re those beasts, but Żmije are in fact different.
It’s important to understand the etymology of the term Żmij or Zmey when looking at these dragons. Quite literally translating to “viper,” the Żmij represents perhaps peak of the serpent in Slavic myth. Serpents are incredibly important due to their connection to the god of the lowlands, magic, and the underworld: Weles/Veles. Weles is often represented as a serpent or dragon in his battle against the god of thunder, Perun. Though Weles is often considered a trickster and deceiver, he is not considered evil, and this is important to remember when discussing the dragons and serpents connected to him. “Evil” was rarely considered to be as black and white in Slavic myths as it is in modern-day and many western European folktales.
So, knowing this connection to Weles and serpents, the differences between Żmije and the traditional dragons make sense. Not only are Żmije multi-headed dragons capable of breathing fire, they’re also incredibly smart tricksters capable of using cunning more than brute force to kidnap maidens and mess with a story’s hero. Like Slavic gods and many demons, they can even shape-shift. Usually, this means shape-shifting into humans for often sexual purposes. Offspring of dragons and humans were thought to become brave warriors and heroes.
Despite the destruction they could cause, the perceived war against the highest god of Perun, and Żmije shape-shifting and seducing women, these creatures were not considered evil – typically. Slavic pagans worshiped the gods but typically believed the gods’ wars were not to be interfered with. Dragons, like gods, were sometimes thought to have power over a specific element or area (making fire-breathing could just one possible weapon they wielded), so choosing a side in the wars among them and the gods was thought to be a poor decision. A satisfied dragon could provide help or a positive form of their element to a village, just like keeping Weles happy would protect farms and nature’s lowland forests.
Regional Variations
Particularly among south Slavs, Żmije were protectors. Brutal storms could hit the Balkans, ravaging farms and villages. It was believed that these storms were brought by an Ala/Chała, a demon sometimes pictured as a dragon (or similar to one). Żmije defended villages from these demons, defeating them and earning a positive reputation in south Slavic myths. In Bulgarian folklore as well, a “Smok” (a snake) will turn into a Żmij after forty years.
Żmije are most typically associated with east Slavic tales, particularly from Russian fairy tales (called skazki). In these tales, dragons are typically enemies to be slayed by a bogatyr – the hero of the particular tale. Many of these stories originated after the arrival of Christianity, so it is likely this made Żmije take on the negative traits of serpents in Christian thought (associated with the Devil). The most famous of these dragons are Zmey Gorynych and Chudo-Yudo, who we will talk more about in future weeks. Interestingly, it is also said that a Żmij guards the path of souls into the underworld of Nawia/Nav, and, like in Bulgarian folklore, both the Ukrainians and Belorussians have tales of serpents turning into Żmije after a certain number of years (seven and a hundred respectively).
Western Slavic dragons often combine elements of the Żmij and Germanic dragons. So, while the Żmij exists in western Slavic mythos, there are other dragons such as the Czech and Slovak “Drak” and the Polish “Smok.” We talked about Smok Wawelski, the Dragon of Wawel Hill, last week, who combined the Żmij’s love for kidnapping women with the western style of a dragon as well.
In The Frostmarked Chronicles
Though not making an appearance in A Dagger in the Winds, Żmije will be playing a role thoughout The Frostmarked Chronicles. They are important and powerful beasts, so including their trickery and shape-shifting will be fun in addition to the traditional role of dragons in fantasy. It allows them to not only be foes but also important actors for their own interests, both positive and negative.
That’s all for this week’s Slavic Saturday. Be sure to keep a lookout for more posts next week, and if you haven’t seen the full series of posts, be sure to check them out.
*As always just a quick disclaimer. Slavic mythology is broad and not written in many if any primary sources, so there’s a variety of interpretations. The interpretations I’m using here are from the sources I’ve found to be reliable.